The front-runner to win the AL Cy Young, New York Yankees RHP Cam Schlittler, takes the mound against the rival Boston Red Sox in what shapes up to be a low-scoring affair. The Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves have a dynamite pitching matchup for the NRFI. Houston Astros SS Jeremy Pena also has what it takes to cash some tall odds for an anytime home run.
Tuesday’s MLB Playoffs action begins at 2 p.m. ET with the Phillies and Braves. They’re part of our highlighted plays, so get those wagers in early.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
Best MLB Playoff Bets Today
Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees Under 6.5 Runs Scored (-117)
It’s one of the best rivalries in the sport, and both teams are on the come-up. The Yankees may be missing superstar Aaron Judge, though, and their offense was hit-or-miss for a lot of the second half of the season. Both starting pitchers have been lights out against the other, too. Red Sox LHP Payton Tolle was 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA and 18 K’s in 13 IP in his two starts against the Bronx Bombers this season. Yankees RHP Cam Schlittler was 2-1 with a 0.74 ERA and 27 K’s in 24 1/3 IP in his four starts against Boston this season. The Over was just 4-5-1 in the last 10 meetings between the teams.
Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves NRFI (-155)
Phils LHP Jesus Luzardo didn’t allow an earned run in the first inning all season with 34 K’s in 29 IP. Luzardo faced the Braves once this season and threw a two-hit shutout with 12 K’s. Braves LHP Chris Sale was also awesome in the first inning this season with a 1.33 ERA and 34 K’s in 27 IP. Sale also didn’t allow a run in the first in any of his four starts against the Phils this season and went 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA overall against them.
Houston Astros SS Jeremy Pena Home Run (+464)
It’s a little bit of a long shot, but I like Astros SS Jeremy Pena to run into one. The White Sox will start LHP Hagen Smith in what is expected to be a bullpen game, so Pena should see a mix of arms. Pena tied his career high with 22 homers, and he did it in 74 fewer ABs than he did in 2022. He also hit 16 of those 22 in the last three months of the season and finished hot with five homers in Houston’s final 12 games.
What Do NRFI and YRFI Mean in Baseball?
The term NRFI indicates no runs scored in the first inning. Its opposite, YRFI, indicates yes, there will be a run in the first inning. It doesn’t matter if the run qualifies as an earned run or not. If a run crosses the plate in the first inning for either team, the wager loses for the NRFI side and wins for the YRFI side.
